Such cable arrangement is understood by ribbon cable, in which the electrically conductive metal is a metal wire of circular cross section, or flattened metal ribbon, or optical lead wires laid parallel with and next to each other are arranged with continuous insulation, and the distances of the lead wires measured from each other are characterized in that they generally concur with the raster spacing of the plates with printed wiring.
Use of the ribbon cables is preferred especially in those apparatuses, where the cable follows the shape of the structure, or the components may shift within an apparatus or equipment. The flexible, multi-wire ribbon cables are mostly used with couplings fitted to the two ends. The couplings are required to fix the band shape of the ribbon cables without slipping and to prevent the mechanical joints of the thin wires of low strength from breaking off the printed circuit plate, or from its apparatus.